The former St. Anthony of Padua Church, Cumbola, will once again be home to parishioners, as well as a church in New Philadelphia which closed due to declining enrollment.
St. Anthony and the land was sold May 8 to New Life Christian Ministries Inc., East Stroudsburg, for $40,000 by the Most Rev. John O. Barres, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown.
The New Philadelphia United Methodist Church, 15 Clay St., New Philadelphia, was sold to Souls Harvest Baptist Church, Port Carbon, for $35,000.
Located at 219 Market St., St. Anthony closed in July 2008 when it and Holy Family and Sacred Heart Church in New Philadelphia merged to form the Holy Cross Church in New Philadelphia, said Matt Kerr, communications director for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown.
It was one of several parishes that closed due to a restructuring of churches as a result of a declining number of priests.
Among other things, the deed spells out what the new owners may not do with the property.
"It's going to be a church. That's what it's going to be," said Gary Sampson, a minister with New Life in Christ Ministries.
He said God led the church to purchase the property.
The church has two locations, one in East Stroudsburg and the other in Brooklyn, N.Y.
It was founded in 2005 and, according to its website, www.newlifeinchristministry.org, its mission is to "teach and preach the loving gospel of Christ and to give back hope and love to a broken world."
Sampson said the church would like to open "hopefully by July 1."
Interior work needs to be completed at the site and includes painting and other things, he said. He's optimistic services can then start.
"It's a place for everyone," he said of the church.
Of the New Philadelphia church, the Rev. Gary Nicholson, district superintendent for the Northwest District of the Eastern Conference of the United Methodist Church, said the congregation had voted in June 2011 to dissolve. They continued to worship at the church until sometime in November, he said.
He did not know the age of the church but said the congregation was formed in 1849.
Attendance was down to about 20 members over the last few years, he said.
"Churches have a life cycle," he said.
Charlene Thornton, Kaska, said she attended the church her entire life and even married there.
She attends Cumbola United Methodist Church on occasion. Many of the other former members also go there, she said.
Donald Noecker, pastor of Souls Harvest Baptist Church, said the church purchased the property because of increasing attendance.
"We'll be in the new location Sunday," he said.
They currently meet at 148 Pottsville St. in the borough where they have been meeting for seven years, he said, adding about 20 people attend services regularly.
